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21 November, 2005

In the above-titled episode of South Park, Eric Cartman inherits a million dollars and buys himself his own amusement park: to enjoy rides at his leisure, without the endless queues and ghastly hordes of general public that usually impede ones fun.

Such was the Global Village last night. Being the only person riding the entire Ferris Wheel, and soaring through the air on the Bomber as it flipped the land and sky the wrong way round, was a rare kind of joy. No parking hell. No crowds. No waiting in line. No getting stuck in pavilion-people-gridlock.

If a regular fairground is cattle class in the back of a Boeing, and a private funfair is something along the lines of a LearJet: this nearly empty showground was the full-on VVVIP-configured A380 of leisure destinations.

A question: what do Iraq, Syria, Iran and Yemen have in common? (Hint: it's not that they're probably not inviting Bush round for Christmas lunch).

The answer is that they have the best pavilions of all the nations on display at the Global Village. Sanctions and diplomatic aggression may not bring about democracy or nuclear disarmament, but without the floods of American crap polluting a culture, traditional crafts, foods and wares remain unspoilt.

The village is definitely worth a visit - it's way better this year than (earlier this year).

Except the Iraqi pavilion has no rugs :(

buj: I get confused with saffron. I have read that real saffron is ultra ultra expensive (ie the tiny packets you can buy in the supermarkets here) but that there is some similar, but not technically saffron, product you can buy in more bulk sizes.

So what are the huge cheap packets at the Iranina stand and elsewhere? Is that just low-grade real saffron, or a substitute (eg from a different flower?)

The South Park rip off for the Air Arabia could only happen here - the blatant disregard for ownership of anything let alone copryright shows how the legal system here is immature and a constant source of jokes and worry.

I know I will be heading off for an obligitory annual stop at the global village this year. My observation each time I go:

Wow, I didn't know that goods from ________(fill in the blank with any GV pavillion country's name) were so similar to Chinese goods. Well, waddaya know, Kenyan stuff looks Chinese! So does Romanian stuff. People in the world really are more alike than we ever knew.

regarding saffron, the real deal is indeed expensive. in fact, i came across a cheaper variety in an iranian shop in deira. it was darker in colour. how about the stuff u saw in gv? what hue of saffron was it?

I think the Kenyan pavilion is the best imho as they stay as 'true' to their country as possible (after being to Kenya 4 times) and would you believe, the carvings and ornaments etc are actually cheaper in GV than in Kenya!! Plus the dancing and food is great too!

What's surprising and a bit alarming is that there is an entire segment of Wikipedia dedicated to South Park. Rather nicely done, too. Perhaps in a thousand years, monks will use them as inspirational texts.

Last year Giordano lost a fortune. hey paid almost Dhs. 300,000 for a coffee shop and often took less than Dhs. 100 per day. Last year indian labourers were bussed in to make the place look full, this year you won't even have the pleasure of their body odour as it's Dhs. 3 to get in and Dhs. 2 to use the loo.